BPN537: Liquid Bearing Micromotors

Project ID

BPN537

Website

Start Date

Thu 2010-Jan-28 21:34:20

Last Updated

Wed 2011-Aug-17 02:52:45

Abstract

This project aims to develop a free, untethered micro-rotary platform based on liquid bearing support. The liquid bearing is essentially a small volume of fluid confined between the rotor and stator by patterned Teflon surface coatings. These bearings have the distinct advantage of being minimally affected by wear and capable of supporting both static and shock loads with reduced mechanical vibrations. The rotor is actuated through three phase electrostatic driving by etching notches in the perimeter of the silicon rotor and depositing metal electrodes onto the glass stator substrate. This approach makes use of the increased rotor-stator capacitance due to the high dielectric constant liquids for improved torque generation; at the same time allows for precision rotation measurement using integrated capacitive position sensing.